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Page 200 WAR EXPERIENCES In November, 1861, while Co’s. F, I, and E were at Pacific, Mo., we were located in what the boys termed "Devil’s Gulch," or "Hell’s Half Acre," a very appropriate title for the gulch running down from the west side of the great white sand hill on the north side of the little town just at the back of the Merrimac bottom, just the spot for malaria to get its grip and it did at one time. Many were taken with chills and fever while I was in the crowded hospital with the same complaint. Almost every man in camp was sick, and 1st Joel Jones, was the only really well man in camp. He had many duties to perform for about two weeks, and with the help of a few half sick men, had the care of the camp, performed guard duty, and acted as nurse. No pen can describe the affliction of that camp, it was worse than the battle field. I do not remember the death of but one in Co. F, that of David Lehr, a brave, patriotic boy, who was missed by all who knew him. The Corporal Jones who took care of so many, gave way after two weeks’ service. He was prostrated with pneumonia and battled with death for six weeks or more, much Page 201 of the time insensible, but with the help of a strong constitution and iron will he recovered. Co’s. I and E lost many of their best men in that camp, who were rendered unfit for military duty, and died after they were discharged. No soldier who understood sanitary laws would stay in such a camp if he could get to a battle field. Our officers were good and kind in all those three companies, or the last man would have died, but the captains were as green as the privates about soldier life. The first General Engagement of the 26th Missouri Infantry In April, 1862, while encamped at Bird’s Point, Mo., opposite Cairo, Ill., General Pope learned that Jeff Thompson, an old Rebel Guerrilla with several thousand Bushwhackers, was near Charleston, Mo., about twenty-five miles from our camp, and selected the 26th Missouri Infantry to whip Jeff Thompson. Every man who could stand up and hold a gun wanted to go. So we marched out on the Cairo and Fulton Railroad to Charleston, where we arrived at about 2 p.m., and were sent out some eight miles south where the rebels had fired on some Illinois cavalry and wounded one man. About six o’clock in the evening, Col. Boomer halted the regiment in a lane near a farm house and order us to stack arms. In three minutes after we broke ranks, one of the boys was attacked by a huge secesh gander, and about the same time one of the largest rosters yelled, "Hurrah for Jeff Davis," when Billy Campbell, a brave boy went for them and the attack became general and bloody, and continued for one hour. Blood flowed on all sides until at least five hundred rebel hens and roosters lay dead on the ground and the 26th was victorious without the loss of a single man. Page 202 About nine o’clock p.m. we were ordered to march back eight miles to Charleston. I look back to that field of carnage with regret that we could not take all the dead along, but had to leave many fat pullets to the mercies of old Jeff Thompson’s band.
In the field at Iuka, Miss., September 19th, 1862. Much has been written about the Eastern soldiers, and I am glad to say they merited more praise that has been bestowed. Great battles are pictured in glowing colors and the credit given mostly to the commanding officer, who was away back out of danger, and the active operations directed by volunteer officers who were privates a few days previous, and knowing the valor of their men, they stood their ground, often allowing them to advance at will when they saw the enemy falter. They trusted to the courage of the line and the men did the work. Thus was the battle of Iuka fought and won. I will writhe particulars of the 26th Missouri, but I know the entire brigade performed its duty well, for they fought as bravely as soldiers ever have done. The 26th Missouri was ordered "in file right" to support the 5th Iowa. We laid down within sixty yards of their line and in full view. There were some twenty-five minutes of suspense, and the balls fell like hail in our ranks. Col. G. B. Boomer sat on his horse as cool as a load of ice , while Capt. B. D. Dean and Lieut. W. L. Wheeler sat on a log as if waiting for some of the boys to bring some more honey from the hives they had captured near the battlefield, and 2nd Lieut. J. W. Maupin, young and brave but Page 203 more excitable, laughingly said, "Wilson, I can beat you shaking," and I then noticed that I was shaking too, and replied, "If you do, you will shake your boots off." Most of the boys were cool, while others shook like jelly, but it was not through fear, it was excitement. Many I heard say: "O, I wish they would let us go in! See the 5th Iowa boys are being cut to pieces!" Then the order came from brave Col. Boomer: "Attention, 26th!" Then Capt. Dean, as cool as on parade, with that soft, mild voice, called: "Co. F! Attention! Forward!" I looked along the line, and every officer was in his place – the men were all attention and all eager. I saw at a glance that every officer and man of the 26th had offered his life to country and would not flinch. Now came a trying scene. The brave 5th Iowa was ordered back all bleeding, through our ranks, and we saw the dead and wounded carried back. "See," some one would say, "See, we must pay them for that!" "Steady boys," commanded Capt. Dean. Col. Boomer shouted: "Dress on colors!" "Fire and load at will!" "Lay down! Fire at will!" was about the last order from Boomer, for he was wounded. As we halted in line, Lieut. Wheeler and I compared watches. It was 2:15 p.m. Captain Dean said: "Sergeant Jones, you are in charge of the left platoon – see well to your men!" At this point everything was business. William Campbell and Charles Neison yelled: "Fix bayonets and let’s charge the devils!" I had hard work to keep them down, for there was no flinching in those boys. The first line of "rebs" gave way, and were replaced by two lines of fresh troops, and they poured in a deadly volley. Marcus Wilt was killed by a shot in the face – a brave, orphan, German Page 204 boy, who gave his life for "Old Glory." Lieut. Shoenen was shot, and no field officer left. Corporal Henry Meyer, was killed in the act of shooting; Lon Bliss, orderly, killed; William Rowen, sergeant, killed; 2nd Lieut. J. W. Maupin, wounded. The boys were killed or wounded as fast that no one had time to count. The "rebs" were relieved again and we fought the third lot of men, ten to one all the time. We heard no field command, but from all along the line the captains shouted: "Steady, men!" "Be calm!" "Make every shot count!" "Be careful, boys!" "Take good aim!" "Shoot low!" A continuous roar of musketry was heard all the time. My gun was so hot it burned my hand. Several men said to me: "I am out of ammunition." Just at that time a man passed with lightning speed on horseback, shouting for all the companies to fall back but Co. F. Capt. Dean stood on two small Stumps with two buckshot in one leg and one in the other; and was too busy to hear. Lieut. Wheeler stood erect, shooting with his revolver, and was also absorbed in the fight. Some one told Capt. Dean that the rest of the regiment had fallen back, then he inquired of Wheeler and of myself, but no one could tell who gave the order. Then Capt. Dean said: "Boys if you have any ammunition we will stay while we can. I do not like to leave until ordered to leave." I had picked up several bunches of cartridges, marked London, Eng., which the rebels had dropped, and had been supplying the boys but had had some left. Capt. Dean said: "Get where you can see, boys, and make every shot count." We collected in an open spot, eleven strong against two thousand "Johnnies," to hold them until reinforcements came. Do you call that bravery and the enemy not forty yards away? No, it was duty. Page 205 A.J. Jones stood by my left side and killed a big rebel with blue jeans pants, and the man on the right in gray fell at the same time. I do not believe that any of that band of eleven missed a shot. But all the fire of the enemy was centered on us now. A. J. Jones was at this time shot in the breast; John Fletcher, wounded; Dan Robinson, wounded. They were three as brave boys as ever fired a musket. When I saw this, I turned to Capt. Dean and said: "Captain, we had better leave, we are not doing any good here. See, they know our number and are pouring in a cross-fire on us." Capt. Dean replied: "Well, boys, I suppose we had better go, yet I do not like to go, and no one here to hold the enemy." He said these words in as calm a tone as if he were talking to children at play. If he had ordered us to fix bayonets and charge, in one-half minute those boys would have made a rush at the enemy or have fallen in the attempt. I will here give the names of all that little band, for I wish to hand them down to posterity: A. J. Robinson, Samuel Campbell, William Campbell, William Williams, J. H. C. Jones, David C. Jones, Henry Helling, Charles Neison. When we started back I noticed Capt. Dean using his sabre as a cane. I requested John Jones to assist the Captain, but the latter declined saying: "There are many more needing help worse than I. Take care of yourselves." Some of the boys walked lively. I walked away with Lieut. Wheeler, loading my gun as I went, thoughtless of all but the dear, brave boys who had fallen. I had gone but a few rods when I heard the "Johnnies" shout: "Halt there!" I turned my head and saw a full line just at the point where Page 206 we had left. One rebel, with blue eyes and sandy mustache, dressed in butternut, raised his gun, and I knew it was for me. I was just capping my gun, so I sent the contents to him. He staid there all night, but I flew. The whole line must have fired at me for the air was full of singing balls, and one of them struck on the shoulder strap of my cartridge box, square in the back, which knocked it high in the air. At the same time Samuel Campbell and Billy Williams, of Co. F, had gained the shelter of two trees and were loading their guns. They saw the situation, and one said to the other, "if your gun is loaded shoot that ‘reb,’ he will kill Wilson;" but seeing my assailant drop, Sam shot a rebel who was in the act of sticking his bayonet in a wounded man, while Billy made a lead mine of another butternut. Those two men fired the two last shots that were fired by the 26th in the battle of Iuka, and then the rebels skipped that night. We talked the matter over and they told me where their men lay, and in the morning I found them as reported. On the morning of the 20th, there were sixteen of Co. F to answer roll call, and five of them with slight wounds, while every man but two had his clothes cut, some by a half-dozen balls. Davy Jones and Will Campbell had not a scratch, although they had been in the hottest of the contest, two hours and fifteen minutes. The battle began at 2:15, when we went in, and when we came out on the spot where we left the field, Lieut. Wheeler and I compared time. "Four-thirty, four-thirty," said Wheeler. "Why we have been in two hours and fifteen minutes, it did not seem thirty minutes." Page 207 On the morning of the 26th, Thomas Crowe and myself were the first to go back to the battlefield. That was the saddest time of my life. There were many wounded and dead. Several of the wounded said: "If I die, thank God I did my duty;" and others said: "I am not afraid to die." We gave them water and made them as comfortable as we could. We then went up the hill to where the rebel lines had been, which was well marked by blood and dead. I went to where the big rebel was lying that I had seen Jackson Jones kill, and took a good look at him. He was about forty years of age, black hair and beard and weighed about one hundred and seventy-five or eighty pounds. I felt that I never would miss a chance to get revenge for the brave boys in blue that were killed, but God saw fit to impair my health soon after. I am thankful that he has spared others of the 26th Missouri who stood the test and never flinched. They never knew defeat, and I know that at any time, in any engagement, had all the officers of Co. F been killed, that some of the privates would have taken command and led the boys as long as there was any shadow of hope, and I think the same of all the other companies. May the blessings of God, who gave to my comrades such valor, and led them to such unexpected and wonderful victories, ever protect and enable them to be steadfast to this, the best and grandest government on earth, is the prayer of their comrade, Wilson M. Jones |
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